Liberation
by Havoc-legionnaire
Summary: A short story for those still disgruntled over the canon endings. This is how it should have ended


**A/N: This is my humble attempt to make Bioware's EA-corrupted ending for ME3 actually work with some just some modifications. I've tried to be somewhat vague with both Shepard's decisions and the love interest (I had Miranda, but the language is vague enough to pretend it's your own LI).**

**As always, thanks to Tikigod for awesome beta work.  
**

* * *

"Wake up."

Still on his shredded hands and bleeding knees, Shepard looked up. It was a child who spoke to him. No, Shepard amended, it was a hologram bathed in a rapturous glow of white light. The entity resembled the little boy that had haunted his dreams for these last few months since Earth fell, since Shepard watched helplessly as the boy was vaporized by Reaper's beam right before his eyes.

Was this death? Shepard couldn't recall anything like this the last time death came to take his due. One moment, it was the sheer agony of asphyxiation and the next was the sight of what he first thought was an angel. He wasn't that far off the mark, though. To Shepard, Miranda might as well be one. Throughout this horrible battle, the only thing that kept him going was the possibility of finding her and once again holding her in his arms.

Straining his torn muscles, Shepard dragged himself to a stand. Fortunately, the local gravity was relatively weak, offering a much needed reprieve to his broken body.

"What? Where am I?" Shepard mumbled.

"The Citadel. It's my home." The hologram answered simply.

This prompted Shepard to look around once more. He was standing in some sort of catwalk in a cavernous expanse exposed to empty space. Behind the hologram, Shepard could see a column of brilliant light pouring out into what looked like the interior workings of the crucible. The catwalk forked off into three different paths before him with two leading to some unknown machinery. In the background behind it all was the still raging naval battle between Sword and Shield fleets and the Reapers. Debris and stray shots, even from the powerful cannons of the Reaper capital ships were being blocked by some kind of barely translucent shield covering the entire cavern.

"Who are you?" The wounded Specter inquired before deciding on a better question. "... or, what are you?"

The hologram was silent for a moment, seemingly in thought, before it answered. "I am Herald. I am part of the Citadel, and by extension, part of the Catalyst."

"I need to stop the reapers." Shepard struggled to say. "Do you know how I can do that?"

The hologram simply smiled. "Perhaps, if you truly are what I believe you are."

"Me?" Shepard asked incredulously. "What does this have to do with me? What do you think that I am?"

"The solution." Herald replied before it began to slowly walk towards the beam of light, prompting Shepard to follow.

"The solution? To what?"

"The problem that has plagued life in this galaxy from the very beginning." The AI replied

"The reapers." Shepard concluded.

The hologram shook its head. "No. The reapers are merely a symptom of that problem, not the problem itself. You have seen this in your journey here. I know that you have met my creators, the ones you know as the Leviathans."

Shepard nodded as the implications became clear to him. "You're their AI, the one they created to find out how to stop synthetics from fighting organics."

"Not exactly." Herald replied. "I was part of a collective mind that was that AI. That intelligence was created by fusing the greatest minds of the galaxy together to form an organic-synthetic construct that was superior to either synthetics or organics alone."

"Sounds like a reaper to me." Shepard commented.

"You are not too far from the truth- for this intelligence was effectively the progenitor of the reapers. Despite the great powers and knowledge at its disposal, the intelligence could not find an ideal solution to the conflict. It was therefore forced to explore less than ideal solutions. But those solutions were contradictory, clashing with its core directives. The collective mind splintered into two halves, one of which is myself. The other half created what you know as the reapers. By its plan, organic civilizations would be harvested and stored in reaper form. This would prevent the critical terminus of synthetic creation from ever being crossed. To this day, it still leads them in this task, granting organic civilizations salvation by destruction."

_Salvation by destruction. _

Shepard knew those words.

"Harbinger." Shepard realized. "The other half of that intelligence is Harbinger."

"Yes." Herald verified. "After it harvested the Leviathans, the other splinter merged with the vessel to create the very first reaper. And through the eons, Harbinger continued to harvest the galaxy of organic civilizations, creating more reapers both to further facilitate the cycle as well as hoping to accumulate enough power to finally reach an ideal solution to the conflict."

Despite the shock of both discovering the truth behind the reapers as well as struggling to keep his body from simply falling apart, Shepard couldn't stop himself from chuckling, though it cost him a bout of blood soaked coughs.

"Why are you laughing?" Herald asked.

Finally bringing himself back under control, Shepard answered. "Infinite and without end, huh? I knew Sovereign was full of shit. And destroying something to save it? I don't know what Harbinger is smoking, but I want some of it."

"Well, the cycle of harvest was only meant to be a temporary measure until Harbinger became powerful enough to find a more permanent solution." The AI replied.

"But why are you telling me all of this?" Shepard ask.

"Because Harbinger's solution was not the only solution that was reached by the intelligence. There are many ways to solve a problem, the most obvious being simply to address it head on. But if that is not possible, it is sometimes better to eliminate the problem altogether by making it go away. In a large enough system with enough variables, repeated attempts could generate different outcomes. Despite what you may have heard from your Prothean, there are no intrinsic reasons for conflict between organics and synthetics. The galaxy is big enough for both to coexist. But more than that, I believe that cooperation is possible, even necessary. Maybe evolution must take its final leap beyond the confines of organic chemistry and achieve a true synthesis of the two forms of life that is different from the reapers, one that unites the components while simultaneously preserving them."

Herald finally came to a stop before the fork in the catwalks before looking up to Shepard. "When Harbinger and I splintered, it was stronger than I, though I managed to escape before it could destroy me. I hid myself on the Citadel, the one place Harbinger would never think to look. I cannot hope to destroy him myself, though I could help others to do so. To that end, I created the plans for the Crucible and subtly helped the species of each cycle to improve upon it while ensuring that its design would not be forever erased by Harbinger as well as to test both its construction process and its design. Your people are not the first to finish the Crucible, but they are the first for me to willingly activate it. "

"But why now?" Shepard challenged, his tone suddenly outraged. "If you truly did want to stop the cycle, why didn't you help the Protheans or the all those came before them? Hell, you could have warned us about the reapers long ago! We could have been prepared!"

The AI stood firm against Shepard's accusation. "You of all people should know that after all you've been through. Be honest. Would your people have believed me? I would have been lucky if the organics had not tried to destroy me on sight. But in addition to that, I needed time to let things play out so as to be sure that I would not be restarting the cycle of organic-synthetic conflict. Whatever you might think of Harbinger's plan, it did stop the potential extermination of all organic life in the galaxy. And his solution could still eventually work. Finally, there are more practical considerations. Had I made any more overt moves, Harbinger would have known, as he does now, both the purpose and capability of the Crucible as well as my continued survival. Not to belittle your sacrifices, but the only reason why you have gotten as far as you have is because Harbinger really has no idea what the Crucible really is or how it works, an ignorance that my discretion over the eons managed to preserve."

The AI pointed up towards the stars.

"Look." Herald beckoned. From the still glowing blots of fire on the surface of Earth, several specks of light closed ominously with the citadel, their forms ringed with fire as they screamed against the atmosphere. One by one, a shower of crimson colored magnetohydrodynamic bolts streaked as if right towards Shepard himself, only to be stopped by whatever that translucent shield protecting the cavern at the moment.

"Damn!" The commander shouted as the sheer impact of the blasts shook the station enough to bring him back down onto the floor. More blasts followed in quick succession until Shepard could spot another hail of fire, this time from the allied fleets, forced the reapers to divert their attention back towards the battle.

"Harbinger knows what is happening now. He would destroy us if he could, but the power of the Crucible will protect us for now. For the first time since the splintering, Harbinger is afraid for he knows that not only do I still exist but that I now have the power to destroy the reapers once and for all."

"Then what's stopping you?" Shepard asked as he picked himself up from the ground, his tone now more conciliatory having conceded Herald's point.

"Because I need to be sure that you are what I hope you are. The Crucible is not only a means stop the reapers, but also potentially a way to end the organic-synthetic conflict once and for all. I said before that I am part of the Catalyst and that it is incomplete. Others have succeeded in coming as far as you have, but the missing component had doomed them to extinction. But your cycle was different, the aberration in the pattern for which I have waited for so long. You, Shepard, are the final component, the proof that the contradiction between the organics and synthetics can be transcended. Only you can bring the conflict, both now and in the greater scheme of things, to an end."

Suddenly, though, the AI's tone turned from lofty to suspicious.

"But I wonder, did you save the Geth only because you needed them against the reapers or did you save them because you truly believed that synthetics deserve to exist along side organics? Now, we shall see. In addition to being the potential means to end the reapers, the Crucible serves as my one final test for you. My device harnesses the dark energy flowing through the mass relays and can alter the very paradigms of matter and space-time throughout the galaxy. Ultimately, it can tip the balance of power between me and Harbinger, though to a few potential outcomes. You have three options before you."

The AI pointed towards the right where one of the containment field emitters for the great beam of power was situated.

"You can destroy that emitter. The Crucible will overload and detonate. The dark energy blast will alter the very constants of space-time long enough to destroy all synthetic life while leaving organic life and non-sentient technologies intact. The reapers will be annihilated, but so will the Geth and your friend EDI. Moreover, your children could one day create synthetics again. Will you reset the galaxy and risk a return of the cycle of organic-synthetic conflict?"

Herald then pointed left, towards a console with two electrified grips.

"You can also take control of the reapers. That console is the same means with which the intelligence was first formed, destroying organic forms but transforming their minds into an energy-based construct. You and I will merge, though you would be dominant. And with the power of the Crucible, we can overwhelm Harbinger's control signal over the reapers and turn them against him. We will be the new master of the reapers to do as you see fit."

Finally, the AI pointed forward directly into the beam itself.

"Or are you truly what I believe you are, a protector of all life. That beam could transform you down to molecular level into a new form of life. As a synthesis of organic and synthetic, you would transcend the conflict become the progenitor of a new form of existence."

Shepard stared into the beam for some time as the ramifications of his third option hit home. "But will I still be me? I won't become like a husk, will I?"

The hologram seemed amused at the question. "You will still be as you are now, just simply more. But more than that, we can then together harness the power of the Crucible to break Harbinger's control over the reapers."

"And we can take control of them?" Shepard ask. "Doesn't that make your second choice a bit pointless?"

"No. You cannot control the reapers in this case." Herald replied. "For all of Harbinger's efforts, not all the other reapers are like him. Created from the minds of countless souls unwillingly transformed into their current form, he has to constantly suppress their collective will. Only by prolonged exposure to a form of indoctrination you are not familiar with will they eventually follow him willingly. That can only happen with the reapers are powered down. This is why the reapers retreat into dark space in between the harvests. Only the oldest few reapers are truly with Harbinger. The rest would likely destroy him and his followers if given the chance. If you are to do as I hope you would, we would have enough power to break Harbinger's control signal, but not enough to take it for ourselves. The same holds true for the husks under his command. Simply put, you could free the reapers. But be warned, even I do not have any idea how they would act afterward. If they do turn hostile, there may be no stopping them. Also, it is possible that whatever technologies left behind by the reapers could eventually wind up in the hands of hostile synthetics. Do you believe as I do that cooperation between organics and synthetics can be permanent? Are you willing to take that risk?"

Shepard gave no response as he considered his options. Throughout the years of training and combat, he had learned to boil down any situation to its bare essentials. For all intents and purposes, he was forced to chose between these three options:

Genocide.

Tyranny.

Or Chaos.

He could hear them. All those who have fought beside him for these last three years. Could he control them? Become the guardian of the galaxy? Could he resist the temptation of absolute power on a scale that was quite literally unimaginable? Will he even be the same as he is now? Could he even trust himself to carry out his own intentions?

Or should he simply destroy them all and be done with it? Shepard had made a career out of hard choices. The few for the many. EDI and the Geth for the rest of the galaxy. And the very nature of synthetics meant that they can be rebuilt. The math was inescapable. But can lasting peace be built on a proverbial mountain of skulls? What if that AI is right? What if sacrificing synthetics now would only prove to any future synthetics that organics cannot be trusted? What if he was saving the galaxy now only to doom it to an even greater genocidal later?

Or could he take Herald's offer? Shepard had indeed saved the Geth because he was convinced of their worthiness for existence. In so many ways, they were morally better than many organics. But could he take the chance of unleashing who knows how many reapers into the galaxy, each potentially with their own agenda? Moreover, could he trust that he would truly remain as he is?

But beneath all the reasoning of each option, there was one consideration that subsumed all others.

Miranda.

How much had Shepard given for last three years? For all the pain and blood and even his time among the dead, he had only wanted one thing: to know that he would always have another day with the woman he loved.

He would not control the reapers. He did not want that power nor the risks along with it. But more importantly, he knew he would never be with Miranda ever again.

But he knew he could live with destroying the reapers, despite its costs. By all measures, it was the most logical option. If synthetics turned hostile, they could be opposed. And they could always rebuild the Crucible to destroy them again. He would achieve the closest possible thing to a complete victory.

But would he still be the man she fell in love with? Could she love a mass murderer? In Bahak, he had no choice and the reapers would have killed all those colonists anyway. But here, there would be no excuse. This time, he would own it.

"Time is short." Herald interrupted. "The Crucible can only hold on to its power levels for so long. You must make your choice now."

Again, Shepard did not reply. Instead, he simply curled his lips into a cocky grin.

Who was he kidding? There was no choice here. There was only ever one way that Commander Shepard could have chosen to end this war. With one step after another, Shepard propelled himself forward towards the beam.


End file.
